Sun afternoon, Monday morningThen we made our way down to Valley Forge, PA and had a great time feeling the spirit of the Revolution. We arrived there at about 4pm - just in time to have the fog set in and the cold humid air remind us of the type of winters the Revolutionary soldiers must have endured. We saw the cabins they built and lived in - the beautiful rolling hills - and even walked through George Washington's headquarters. It was a great stop!
Tuesday, WednesdayAfter Philadelphia we went to Washington DC. We stayed at a great hotel on Pennsylvania Ave about a block away from the White House. We toured the Air and Space Museum and Arlington Cemetery (where we paid Matt's dad a visit..) , and of course saw the White House and all the other great sites. We've been to DC with the kids several times before but still didn't have time to make it to Mount Vernon. Jacob & Aaron were there as babies but of course they don't remember it. We also toured the National Portrait Museum and saw many amazing original portraits, including original paintings of Benjamin Franklin, George & Martha Washington, and many many others. It was a great stop in trying to learn more about the early days of America and all the efforts those strong people made in earning and fighting for the liberty we enjoy today.
I'm glad we didn't see everything we wanted to see~ it makes us want to go back. The kids loved it and asked to go back again soon.
Wednesday, Thursday (Thanksgiving), Friday
Our last stop was in beautiful Colonial Williamsburg, VA. What a great place! If you haven't been there, it should be on your "must see" list during your life. Matt even said that he's not willing to be friends with people who won't go to Colonial Williamsburg~ !!
A quick intro: In about 1915 someone convinced John D. Rockefeller to spend part of his fortune buying the old home sites of the early pilgrims (1600's) and restore them. He and his wife commited to it and over time, they've restored hundreds of homes, shops, taverns, and hotels. They've blocked all of Colonial Williamsburg from vehicle traffic. (It's about 5 blocks by 10 blocks) - if you want to get around, you either walk, ride a bike, or take a horse carriage!! We wish Nauvoo could accomplish what Colonial Williamsburg has now become. It's an amazing place.
We ate our Thanksgiving dinner at Christina Campbell's Tavern (supposedly George Washington's favorite tavern to eat at). All of the people in Colonial W. dress up in that period. So all of the tavern workers, cooks, servers talked with accents and dressed like they lived in the 1600-1700's. It was so cool. We've been there once before with the kids and were so glad to go back.
We were well protected with our little Patriot always by our side! (see the picture).
- We hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and we're thankful for our good brother Brad who inspired us last year to do something different for Thanksgiving. We plan on doing something away from home each Thanksgiving! (Last year's Thanksgiving at the Grand Canyon with a Japanese cowboy who sang Bob Dylan & the Beatles while unable to pronounce L's and R's is something we'll never forget!)
